Justice 101: Erasure of Queer History

Justice 101: Redefining Rehabilitation — From Norway to Pennsylvania

Tuesday, September 08, 2026
5:30pm - 7:30pm

Free online and in-person. Join us for a conversation exploring Norway’s ""normality principle,” a groundbreaking approach to incarceration that prioritizes humanity and rehabilitation, and learn about ongoing efforts to replicate the model and research its impact through the Scandinavian Prison Project at SCI-Chester, a state correctional institution near Philadelphia.

Speakers include Michael Zaken, DCJ (Western Region Deputy Secretary, Pennsylvania Department of Corrections), Morgen Jaco (Deputy Commissioner of Restorative and Transitional Services, Philadelphia Department of Prisons), Stian Estenstad (Director, Network After Imprisonment—Norwegian Red Cross), Steven L. Chanenson, JD (Professor of Law & Faculty Director of the Girard-diCarlo Center, Villanova University), and Kevin Amir Bowman (CEO and Founder, Just Better Men; former resident of “Little Scandanavia” at SCI-Chester). 

Justice 101: Voices Beyond the Walls — Justice, Reentry, and Civic Power

Tuesday, September 15, 2026
5:30pm - 7:30pm

Free online and in-person. In recognition of National Voter Registration Day, the Philadelphia City Commissioners' Office and the Eastern State Center for Justice Education are partnering to present a panel and networking event exploring voting rights and civic engagement for justice-involved individuals and all community members.

Moderated by Vanessa Caracoza (Deputy Executive Director, Philadelphia City Commissioners' Office). Panelists include Omar Sabir (Chairman, Philadelphia City Commissioners’ Office), William “Bill” Hart (Associate Director, Temple University—Office of Community Affairs and Engagement), Benjamin D. Geffen, J.D. (Senior Attorney, Public Interest Law Center), Assata Thomas (Executive Director, Division of Reentry—City of Philadelphia’s Office of Public Safety), and others to be announced.

Justice 101: The History of American Incarceration

Thursday, September 17, 2026
2:00pm - 3:00pm

Explore the history of the U.S. criminal justice system beginning with Eastern State Penitentiary, a revolutionary attempt at prison reform led by Benjamin Franklin and other Framers of the U.S. Constitution. Consider how founding ideals of liberty and freedom impacted—and continue to play a role in—justice reform today. 

Moderated by Kerry Sautner, Ed.D. (President and CEO, Eastern State) and featuring Ashley T. Rubin, Ph.D. (Associate Professor of Sociology, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa), a leading scholar in U.S. carceral history and author of "The Deviant Prison: Philadelphia's Eastern State Penitentiary and the Origins of America's Modern Penal System."

Justice 101: Religious Freedom and the Justice System

Tuesday, October 13, 2026
5:30pm - 7:30pm

Explore the complex legal story of religious freedom and the justice system, and unpack how it continues to unfold in courtrooms, prisons, and jails across the country today. Delve into notable rulings that protected the rights of incarcerated people to practice their faiths behind bars.

Speakers include Michael Moreland, J.D., Ph.D. (Professor of Law and Religion & Director of the Eleanor H. McCullen Center for Law, Villanova University) and others to be announced.

Justice 101: From Natural Rights to “Slave of the State”- Philadelphia’s Founding Vision and the Making of the “Slave of the State”

Tuesday, November 24, 2026
5:30pm - 7:30pm

Details to come, check back for updates.

Justice 101: Faith, Sanctuary, and Community

Thursday, December 03, 2026
5:30pm - 7:30pm

Additional details to come, check back for updates. Join us for an evening that opens with a panel discussion and features live musical performances exploring how religious connection sustains people through incarceration.

Justice 101: Examining the Justice System and the Unfinished work of the Founding and the Prisoners’ Rights Revolution

Wednesday, December 09, 2026
2:00pm - 3:00pm

Details to come, check back for updates.